Merlin 5.13: The Diamond of the Day II

If you're about to click on the 'Read Now' link on this post without having watched this episode or any of the others of series five (or the entire show, for that matter) then you really are asking to have your heart ripped out, trampled on and sewed back in by a five-year-old. It's bloody sacrilege to carry on reading if you've neglected to watch the episodes of which I've spoken and I really do advise that you go away and watch them for your own good health.

As always, recaps of the previous episodes here: Arthur's Bane Part 1, Arthur's Bane Part 2, The Death Song of Uther Pendragon, Another's Sorrow, The Disir, The Dark Tower, A Lesson in Vengeance, The Hollow Queen, With All My Heart, The Kindness of Strangers, The Drawing of the Dark and The Diamond of the Day II

We're back where we left off two days ago, in the midst of battle and Arthur really is carrying his weight. He looks invincible as he cuts his enemies down in a fell swoop, but of course we know that that won't stay true for long. Just as Arthur is faced with a good half-dozen Saxons ready to end his life, a bolt of light flashes through the dark sky and knocks them down. It's Emrys! He's standing on the top of a mountain with a staff in hand, the source of his power. Yay for Merlin! Morgana, as you might expect, is horrified and really, what could she expect when she didn't take the time to kill him properly?

Merlin 5.09: With All My Heart

Want a reminder of episodes 1-8 of series five? Click here: Arthur's Bane Part 1, Arthur's Bane Part 2, The Death Song of Uther Pendragon, Another's Sorrow, The Disir, The Dark Tower, A Lesson in Vengeance and The Hollow Queen. Beware of spoilers, spoilers and you guessed it: more spoilers! The first paragraph already contains a spoiler, and so you're not even getting a taster before you have to click 'Read More'!

You seriously don't want to miss this episode. It's a convenient way of getting around a recent thorny problem which is a slightly annoying way to make everything better just as it has been announced that the series is about to end, but whatever, I'm not complaining. Much. Just WATCH IT

Merlin 5.07: A Lesson in Vengeance

Missed episodes 1-6 of series five? Never fear! You can catch up here: Arthur's Bane Part 1, Arthur's Bane Part 2, The Death Song of Uther Pendragon, Another's Sorrow, The Disir and The Dark Tower

SPOILERS, okay? Don't read if you haven't already watched the previous episodes or read my break-downs of them. Know that you'll be subjecting yourself to considerable heartbreak if you read with the intention of watching the episodes after. There's nothing quite like watching the show for yourself, so watch them first!

Arthur is very proud of himself for remembering his anniversary. He and Gwen are riding in the countryside (with Merlin tagging along reminding them constantly that he isn't there, of course) when they are ambushed. When Arthur's Knights later find traces of sorcery, Arthur begins to agree with Merlin that there was no way that it could have been a coincidence.

Merlin 5.06: The Dark Tower

Missed Merlin series 5 episodes 1-5? Find them here: Arthur's Bane Part 1, Arthur's Bane Part 2, The Death Song of Uther Pendragon, Another's Sorrow, The Disir. Beware of spoilers! 

Awful, awful spoilers here. There's no way that I can avoid talking about them, just because it's so heinously against the grain of what's expected from this interpretation of the legend that I'm gobsmacked. More to the point, I don't want to not talk about them. I do hope that there's a real reason for this betrayal - hasn't Arthur been through enough already? So if you plan on watching this episode for yourself and want the 'surprise', as it were, then don't ruin it for yourself and read my review.

I'm seriously heartbroken by this episode; as if The Disir hadn't been bad enough already, they've just completely made me hate a character that I don't normally love. I just don't know how they could possibly take Merlin down this route, especially, like I've said, the shocking blow we received last week. Like there aren't enough evil regular and special-appearance characters already, they had to add another to their midst.

Merlin 5.01: Arthur's Bane Part 1

It's conducive to my good health if they're shirtless ALL the time

Merlin is one of my favourite shows and so I was beyond ecstatic when I heard that it would be back on TV. As if that wasn't enough, the abundance of hot, naked, sweaty men in this episode makes me want to weep with joy. I found this random image on the left with the help of my good friend Google; it doesn't appear on the show but I couldn't help myself from sharing.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

It seems that some time has passed since the end of Season 4 and Arthur and Guinevere are well settled into married life. Unfortunately, after a length of relative peace, that's about to change. Sir Gwaine was sent out with three score of men six weeks ago and there’s been no word since. There's rumours floating around that the Ismere estate is back in use and Morgana is the one to blame.